, 1887-02-20

and before darkness settled down, taking
turns at the work, we had cut out q cavity
seven or eight feet deep by as many broad
1t mada n capital shelter from the furious
snow storm, which still prevailed without tho
least sign of abatement, and as soon as we
werc sheltered from that we were compare
lively warm.
The bodies of the bears had not yet frozen,
and Mr.. Wharton lighted the lantern and we
set to work with our sheath knives to skin
and dress them. Our real situation was
scarcely referred to by any of us, although
each man fully understood how desperate it
was. we had biscuit sufficient TO last the
five for n weel. or ton days-that Is, enough
to sustnin life FOR that length OF time. III we
were compelled to remain on the bergc the
bear meat would bo n godsend to US. Every
man had this reflection, but no man gave
utterance to his thoughts. We cracked jokes
and tried to be cheerful, and, could a sixth
mnn hive looked In on Us, he would have said
we were enjoying ourselves immensely. III
big skins were spread on the floor Of our leo
cave, the carcasses cut up in handy pieces,
md when darkness fell upon the ocean welny
down side by side without having eaten or
drank, and were soon asleep. had knocked
about in all sorts OF crafts and had sailed In
all seas, and peril was no new thing to me.
When 1 lay down / had to admit to myself
that the present situation had never been
eaualed, and | forced my thoughts into
other channels. Had l begun figuring on our
chances [ should have gono wild. Ilay next
TO Mr.. Wharton, and perhaps, US | was fall
into a doze, | may have whispered something
TO myself, for he laid his hand on my shoulder.
put his mouth close to my ear, and softly
said:
Nelson, whatever you think OF the situa-
ton, say nothing TO any OF the rost- The gale
Is blowing up great guns, and God only
knows what may happen To us oven before
midnight"
"I'm thinking the ship will take US off TO-
morrow, SIR l answered.
II hope so, | hopo so. Lots go to sleep and
not worry"
After that we all slept, but an hour before
daylight we wero aroused by such a shock
md crash us made US believe that the heavens
and the earth had come together. We sprang
ND with shouts OF alarm, no one remembering
for the moment Just where We were. Then
there came moro grinding and crunching and
crushing. and directly after that all was still
except the bowling of the gale, and we wero
driving along ms quietly as before.
aWo'vo had a collision with another berg"
explained the mate, "and think all danger
Inns passed"
Ho advised US to return to our sleep, but
every man had had enough, and every eye
WINS wide open when the first signs OF day
light appeared. The fall Of snow was not 80
heavy. although we could not have seen a
second berg as large ns ours half q milo
nway but the wind was blowing a living
gale and held steady from the old quarter.
The mercury had dropped to zero or lower,
but the great skins under US had kept us
comfortable through the night. We sat and
looked out on the storm and the troubled seq
for n long time before any man moved or
made a suggestion. Then, when day had
fully dawned, the mate said:
"Wen, men, nothing is ever as bad as it
looks at first sight. The storm can't last the
day out, and you may be sure the ship Will
not lower for another whale until she over
hauls us. We've got bread and meat, and
wen try for a fire"
He was the first man out OF the cave. 1 OK
pect we'd all been preparing ourselves to lind
the boat smashed to sp~linters or gone entirely,
for when Mr.. Wharton called that she was all
right, a great load was lifted from our
minds. To get a fire wo must have wood,
and to get wood, as was soon realized, we
must sacrifice some portion of the boat. The
door to the locker In the stern sheets was I'M
hinged, and u couple Of the men fell to and
made shnvings and kindlings OF it. Then
some OF the entrails and fat were cut up into
small pieces, and we started a fire at the door
OF our cave. As SCOT Us the kindlings were
alicht we put on pieces of fat, and there was
a cheer all around as the fire began to blazo
up and throw out its warmth. Then wo fell
to. each man for himself, and cut of as much
meat Us we wanted and held it over the blaze
on splinters. Despite the poor roasting and
the absence OF salt we made a hearty meal
- ~. o. ..,. s4D, altar QfnnfharQ1 ont
In clear weather it would have sent out a
smoke to be seen twenty miles from the
crows nest of a whaler, but with that thick
atmosphere shutting us in, it was simply
burning up precious fuel for nothing.
Although 1t had been showing for so many
hours, and showing In n way to have made
drifts ten feet high IN land, very little of 1t
had remained on the berg, owing, of course.
to the high winds blowing over 1t. The mate
gave us leave to scatter for n look around,
though warning US against taking any
chances, and presently l found myself in his
company as we walked part way along the
length of tho shelf and came to n spot upon
which we could climb with a promise of II
view to windward. Up we went, making our
feet sure at every step, and the bowling OF
the gale all the time seeming nearer, and
by and bye we looked out between two pin
| ndCle5 ullQ uAu "a kQudIo " iHto II ihlo ~
the storm. Wo were not yet at the top of
the berg by any means, but had struck a
sort Of rift in the center OF it and about forty
feet above the sea. A more f~orbidding sight
/ never looked upon. The sea was in a per
feet turmoil, fiinging spray most as high as
our faces, and two other bergs, each SEEM
ingly as largo US our own, were in sight
through tho haze. One was on what might
be called our starboard bow, and the other
on the starboard quarter, and the three of US
were driving Off to the west under the influ
ence of the waves and tho gale. Above our
beads, around the icy pinnacles and steeples.
the wind shrieked and screamed and whistled
In a way to make ones hair stand up on end
Nelson said the mate as VIC clambered
part way down and stopped to rest, what do
you him OF our chancesf'
"Well, sir, it's q bad fix. We can't looh
for any change under three days, at the least.
l know the ship will look for us, but the pack
ice may drive down too heavy for her, or we
may be too widely separated However, we
have tho chance OF being sighted by another
whaler."
That's all true he said in q gloomy voice,
"and we must keep up our spirits. The most
j fear just now is another collision"
Wo scrambled down to the shelf, and thence
along to the cave. where we found the other
three. They had also obtained n look to
windwnrd, and every face was gloomy
enough. We had been worn out aboard the
whnler for want of sleep, and after n little
we all began TO doze, and then fell off into
slumber, and It was after noon by the mate,
watch before we were aroused. Then it wa,
by another grinding and crunching, and by
4 n. ....l -I.t.lt.r about .a aud a..